New Brakes Required!

[handandy]

Hi, My Skoda Superb is due to go in for its service. It's just over 4 years old and has done around 20,000 miles.

On its last service and on its first MOT earlier this year where advisories that the disks were badly scored and rusty.

It was advised to have them replaced on this service.

My point is its a four year old car. Around 20,000 careful miles only. Still has the original brake pads and tyres fitted

with plenty of miles left in them.

It looks likely to cost around £700 - £800. Does this sound fair / normal?

[Bap33]

Hi,

Scored and rusty brake discs is a known issue for Skoda on Superb MK3 (especially on rear axle). Just use 'search function' on this forum. You'll finde several threads.

In addition, brake discs and pads shall last at least 80000 km to be certified... No need to say that 20000 miles is not acceptable. 

[Q102]

Were they the rear brakes? My MY2016 had to have them all replaced about a year ago, rusted and ineffective. My car only does 10000 a year.

Thankfully it's a lease vehicle so didn't cost me a penny

[MarkyG82]

£7-800 sounds a lot to me but I have always done brakes myself. If there is plenty life in the pads I'd be taking them off, sanding them flat and fitting new discs. Just make sure you run them in properly after this as a only a few hard braking events will burn through the fresh pads.

 

 

[Ootohere]

@handyandy

The real point is do they need replacing.

Have the brakes ever been serviced / had the brake fluid changed yet.

 

I would not be paying the Main Dealerships price to replace discs and pads, and i would be checking at a Independent Garage that they need doing and get aquote to have them done.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, handandy said:

It's just over 4 years old and has done around 20,000 miles.

The disks were badly scored and rusty.

My point is its a four year old car. Around 20,000 careful miles only. Still has the original brake pads and tyres fitted

with plenty of miles left in them.

It looks likely to cost around £700 - £800. Does this sound fair / normal?

 

Fair? hell no, because they should be made of better materials.

 

Normal? Unfortunately yes. Think about it...  your car has averaged 5000 miles a year which suggests it spends a lot of time sitting around. Do you ever exeprienced when driving away the brakes are very loud for the first few times you use them? That's because due to the lack of use, they're rusting up so when you eventally drive the car, a layer of rust is being cleaned off. Basically your discs are disintigrating because they're not  being used, which I admit sounds crazy.

 

if you'd been using the car on a daily basis then the rust wouldn't have time to accumulate. Next time you look at cars on the forecourt at any VW group dealership, have a look at the brakes on used cars and you'll find them in the same condition. More alarmingly, have a look at the discs on pre-reg cars. These are cars which only have delivery miles on them but have been lying around outside for at least 3months. If you see the cars with their hub caps off, the amount of surface rust is shocking.

 

If you've always had your car serviced at a main dealer according to the Skoda schedule, then if you lodge a formal complaint that the materials used are of poor quality, then you 'may' get Skoda to contribute - it costs nothing to ask.  The very same was true of Volvo discs between at least 2001 and 2005, they kept warping due to poor choice of material.  After complaining Volvo replaced the discs on both my cars. ( Never to miss an opportunity Arnold Clark tried to charge me for a new set of pads as they said they weren't allowed to use old pads on new discs. It was never an issue at any other Volvo dealership tho).

Edited 2 June, 2020 by Guest

[NJRJ]

If it's any consolation my last few VX cars went through their original OEM discs rather too quickly, have a look at doing it yourself, or get an independent.

On my Signums and Insignia I swapped out the discs and pads myself using the 'special tool' (just a 7mm allen key on caliper) and that swap cost about 25% of what VX wanted for just the damn pads! I didn't swap to anything special in the way of discs/pads as I know some insurance companies get a bit sniffy about 'upgrades' or don't mind but use it as an excuse to charge a £25 document fee...

[GAG]

I complained about the state of the rear brake discs on my Superb which had only done 18,000 miles and the Main Dealer service manager replied in writing  "I can confirm that there is some, if not considerable signs of scoring on the brake disc surface. This is the result of corrosion on the disc however this is not adversely affecting the overall performance of the brake discs and as brakes are subject to wear and tear in the nature of their operation again we are unable to replace these under the Manufacturer’s Warranty". 

 

This was despite their own mechanic stating there was plenty life on the brake pads and are showing little sign of wear.

 

The Service Manager refused to elaborate on how a scored, corroded brake disc does not adversely affect overall performance in comparison to a brake disc that is not scored and corroded.   

 

The rear discs are obviously made of poor quality steel.

 

I should add that the Service Manager is an abbreviated Richard or in other words, a ****!

[J.R.]

He didn't say they were scored and corroded (although they probably are) but are scored from having been corroded, put them on an MOT brake tester and they will give a 100% result, drive the car for a couple of weeks like you stole it, braking heavily until they start smoking or the pedal gets spongy and they will often look and perform like new again.

 

Its been a problem for vehicles where the owners drive sensibly and with anticipation = very gentle infrequent use of brakes ever since asbestos was removed from the pad material.